Millions of people suffer from bone fractures each year. Treatment of this condition is frequently accomplished by rigid fixation which involves the use of implants such as, for example, longitudinal load carriers (e.g., bone plates, rods, etc.) fixed to a patient's bone or bone fragments via a plurality of bone fixation elements (e.g., bone screws, hooks, pins, rivets, etc.) in order to stabilize the fractured bone across the fracture.
The use of flexible or dynamic fixation in bone fixation is believed to provide advantages by reducing the amount of stress generally associated with rigid fixation, and thus better protect the patient's bone or bone fragments.